ADHD affects men and women equally, but their journeys often look different. Young girls and women are less likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis. This means it takes longer for them to get the help and interventions they need to thrive at school and into adulthood. Without proper support, girls are left to manage ADHD on their own — often while feeling convinced that they’re lazy or not working hard enough. Women and girls with ADHD have an increased risk of depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and eating disorders. 

At Understood, we want to end these patterns. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Northwestern University to address the challenges faced by girls and women living with ADHD. 

One area of misunderstanding is the overlap between ADHD and mood. Mood challenges are common among people with ADHD, but few treatments for mood consider the ADHD brain. And of those that do, few are accessible in terms of time and cost. 

Women often are able to find resources only on ADHD or mood challenges. But they can’t find anything that addresses the experience of having both.

Together, Understood and Dr. Jessica Schleider’s Lab for Scalable Mental Health will develop two brief digital tools. They’ll be aimed at women who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression as they also navigate life with ADHD.

We chose Dr. Schleider’s lab as our partners in the work based on values alignment and meeting the needs of our population. 

• The Lab for Scalable Mental Health has an impeccable track record of developing tools based on lived experience research. Those who are most impacted are represented. 

• We’re working with a population that’s already overwhelmed and spread thin. These brief tools won’t replace other forms of support or treatment. But they can help bridge the gap for people who wouldn’t be able to access resources otherwise. 

• While there’s beginning to be more awareness of the unique challenges faced by women with ADHD, there are still few effective tools that consider multiple layers of identity and that address real needs. We’re proud to invest in bridging these gaps.

Together, we’re developing single-session interventions (SSIs). These 10- to 90-minute sessions will provide meaningful support in real time. Research shows that for many people, short interventions like these are their only interaction with someone who can help. 

Read on to discover Dr. Schleider’s perspective on our partnership.

What inspired you to focus on addressing mental health needs in women, particularly those with ADHD?

My personal experience as a teenager looking to access mental health support for an eating disorder inspired me to dive into this field. Unfortunately, the landscape of accessible mental health options for individuals seeking one-off support remains scarce in the United States. Factors like financial constraints, waiting lists, and societal misconceptions obstruct access to traditional mental health services.

Upon reflecting during my graduate studies, I recognized the critical need for swift and easily accessible interventions, especially for marginalized groups. One objective of my lab is to address the unmet needs within mental health care ecosystems. Women with ADHD who also struggle with depression and anxiety are vulnerable to being overlooked by existing support systems. Currently, there’s a lack of resources tailored to this demographic, hindering individuals from accessing and utilizing them on their own terms. This realization inspired me to partner with Understood.org in the creation of digital tools designed to address the mental health needs of women with ADHD.

What are some of the unique challenges women with ADHD might face when seeking support for mental health challenges? How might these SSIs help overcome those barriers? 

Firstly, there is a significant shortage of trained mental health professionals in the United States, making it difficult to find timely and appropriate care. Even under the best circumstances, finding a therapist who is available, takes your insurance, and specializes in the specific difficulties experienced by women with ADHD can be challenging. Moreover, women with ADHD often struggle to find providers who understand the complex intersection between depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and the symptoms of ADHD itself. This lack of expertise in adult ADHD, particularly in women, leads to a misdiagnosis or invalidation of their experiences. 

SSIs offer a solution to these challenges by providing an easily accessible platform that validates individuals’ experiences and delivers tailored, actionable steps to address their specific challenges. By offering immediate validation and targeted support, the SSIs we’re developing will help bridge the gap in mental health care for women with ADHD, empowering them to navigate their challenges more effectively.

What do you envision as the primary outcome of this project, both in terms of the developed SSIs and broader insights into this field?

There are pivotal milestones we hope to achieve through our collaboration. In the short term, our excitement lies in co-designing an SSI with the neurodivergent women we’re working with. We aim for this intervention to instill feelings of empowerment, understanding, and validation, guiding individuals to better cope with their challenges. Ultimately, receiving feedback from participants affirming that the digital tools meet their needs and address crucial aspects necessary for treatment would be a primary outcome. 

Looking ahead to the long term, our focus extends beyond the creation of interventions to prioritizing sustainability and widespread reach. The true measure of success lies in our capacity to uphold accessibility and usage of the SSIs over time. It’s essential to showcase tangible public health benefits to align with our objectives. The crucial benchmarks of our progress will be the acceptance and utilization of these interventions by women with ADHD.

What do you hope will be the lasting legacy of this partnership?

SSIs have the potential to revolutionize mental health support for neurodivergent women and establish pathways to more accessible and inclusive treatments. Through the combined expertise of Northwestern University and Understood.org, we aspire to drive lasting change in the field of women’s mental health.

While our primary focus is on women with ADHD, the reach of our SSIs extends to a broader audience grappling with similar mental health challenges. By harnessing the effectiveness of SSIs, we aim to extend support and cultivate resilience across diverse populations. This partnership marks a significant stride in our shared mission to address the intricate intersection of ADHD and women’s mental health needs, ensuring that no woman with ADHD feels marginalized or misunderstood.